Criminal Justice Ethics

Criminal justice ethics: "Serpico"

It would be so easy for police officer Frank Serpico to rationalize ignoring the unethical behavior of his fellow law enforcement officials from a utilitarian perspective. After all, they are making the world a safer place -- so what if they occasionally enhance their salaries with protection money? The bribe money is viewed as an extra incentive to make the risks of being a New York City cop worth the effort. Furthermore, Serpico's rooting out of corruption causes disunity and hatred on the force rather than immediately improves the quality of policing (or Serpico's own life) in a coherent fashion. Serpico becomes so despised he can no longer be an effective crime-fighter. From the perspective of the greatest good for the greatest number, perhaps it would be best to let sleeping dogs lie, a utilitarian would counsel Serpico. Taking money almost builds 'trust' on the force, given if everyone is doing it, no one is better than anyone else: 'Who can trust a cop who doesn't take money,' says one of Serpico's fellow officers.

Yet true to his morals, dressing like a man of the street as an undercover cop, with a mustache and ratty clothes, rather than assuming the clean-cut image of his fellow corrupt officers, Serpico is still more admirable. He is categorically a purist in matters of ethics and cannot be bought. He pursues a strategy of deontological ethics, holding true to the principle that one should behave as if one is setting an ethical precedent for all time and not make ethical decisions purely based upon situational circumstances. Corruption spirals into more corruption, and Serpico believes that if he ignores what is going on, than no one in society will be safe, ultimately. Furthermore, the deontological ethicist advises that you cannot predict the consequences of your ethical actions, so it is best to behave ethically in the here and now. Serpico takes it upon himself to pay the price in the short run, and does not accept things as they are, unlike Chief Sidney Green.

It could be argued that because of his character, Serpico cannot do anything but expose corruption. All of his life Serpico wanted to become a police officer for noble reasons. It because of his ethics and his humanity off the job (he loves dancing and dogs) officers like Green do not understand him. The job scars Serpico, and embitters him, supporting a deontological view of the world that suggests without ethics the souls of those who uphold the laws become too damaged to really do an effective job. The corrupt officers like Green do not care even when a suspected cop killer may go free, what they care about is getting extra money, and as much as possible. The rationalization of utilitarianism ultimately results in 'looking out for number one' rather than the 'greatest good' for the 'greatest number. The question arises as to what 'greatest good' and 'greatest number' the utilitarian is serving: the greatest number of police officers on the force profiting excessively, or the greatest number of citizens whom the officers are supposed to protect?